Eastern Europe

Mitsubishi will focus production on Japan, Russia and Southeast Asia after closing its U.S. plant, the automaker's president, Tetsuro Aikawa, said. Mitsubishi currently builds cars in Thailand and the Philippines and will open a factory in Indonesia.... Read More »

Russia's government is weighing whether to inject up to 10 billion rubles ($176 million) of additional support for local automakers to stem the plunge in car sales, Industry Minister Denis Manturov said. "We've seen positive results from programs we're subsidizing," he added.... Read More »

New-car sales in Russia are expected to fall 36 percent in 2015, the Association of European Businesses lobby group said, revising downward its previous forecast that the country's full-year volume would decline 25 percent. The more pessimistic outlook follows Russia's 30 percent sales decrease in June.... Read More »

Toyota and PSA increased first-half production by 38 percent at their joint car factory in the Czech Republic because of the launch of updated versions of the minicars the automakers build together.... Read More »

Renault said global industrywide sales will probably increase 1 percent this year -- down from a 2 percent gain predicted earlier -- because of China's slowdown as well as big declines in Latin America and Russia.... Read More »

Almost 100,000 Russians follow Elon Musk's social media page, yet the Tesla founder seems to be promoting his dream car everywhere but here, forcing enthusiasts to go to great lengths -- and expense -- to own one.... Read More »

Jaguar Land Rover has made Poland one of two finalists for an auto factory, Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski said. Poland is competing with Slovakia to provide a site for the plant, which would produce 350,000 vehicles a year starting in 2019, he said.... Read More »

AvtoVAZ Chairman Bo Andersson is fighting back against Russian suppliers he says are hindering his efforts to improve quality and cut purchasing costs at Lada, the country's best-selling car brand. AvtoVAZ resumed production today at its plant in Togliatti after output was suspended because of problems with the supply of parts.... Read More »

General Motors and AvtoVAZ will keep their profitable Russian joint venture, AvtoVAZ CEO Bo Andersson said. GM is ending sales of mainstream Chevrolet models and all Opel cars in Russia, and closing its St. Petersburg factory, after sales slumped in the country's economic crisis.... Read More »

The Czech car sector's revenue rose 15 percent to a record 991 billion crowns ($41 billion) in 2014, the country's Automotive Industry Association (AutoSAP) said, helped by a big increase in overall local production by automakers such as Skoda, Hyundai, Toyota and PSA.... Read More »

Russian car sales slumped 38 percent in May, but the drop was not as bad as the country's 42 percent decline in April as government measures to assist the industry start to provide some help.... Read More »

Ford named Russian market veteran Mark Ovenden as the new CEO of its joint venture in the country. Ovenden's task will be to turn around the automaker's troubled Russian operations that have been hit by the country's industrywide slump.... Read More »

BMW will add production of the X4 SUV in Russia with local partner Avtotor using kits shipped from the automaker's U.S. plant. BMW and rival Mercedes-Benz are keen on Russian production despite the market's downturn to avoid import tariffs.... Read More »

Russian new-car sales fell 42 percent in April, the lowest level for the month in a decade, as the country's economy continued to be hit by Western sanctions, low oil prices and a weak currency.... Read More »

Nissan Europe Chairman Paul Willcox has led the brand to new highs in sales and market share. But despite a sharp rise in 2015 volume, Nissan's No. 1 market in the region, Russia, is giving Willcox headaches, as he explained to Automotive News Europe.... Read More »